Soul-Jazzby Greg Manning.

Description: The Calling is the convergence of jazz, funk, and soul intertwined with musical inspiration from such artists as Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Every now and then a uniquely talented artist, through fresh and innovative musical content, transfers a resurgence of life into the veins of a genre. This is indicative of Greg Manning’s passion to reach his listeners through melodic tunes that reach your soul.

Greg has toured with Brian McKnight, Kirk Whalum, Will Downing, Richard Elliot, Gerald Albright, Chante Moore and Mindi Abair just to mention a few. Greg who is also the former music director for GRAMMY® Award-nominated artist Jonathan Butler, guides his listeners on a journey of life’s influences compiled into his highly anticipated solo project titled The Calling. The Calling is as soulful as it is spiritual and relevant. Soul-Jazz at its best.

After touring extensively for ten years throughout the U.S., Europe, South Africa, and the U.K., Greg made a conscious decision to come off the road. Not too long thereafter, he started composing music for film and television. Yet, he felt it was time to do his own project. “I think for any sideman, he says, there always comes a time when you hear your own voice and you want to do your own thing,” and that’s exactly what he did. Greg began writing for The Calling in 2004 and officially released his solo project worldwide on iTunes on April 5, 2010. “I wanted the project to be a great, coherent, accessible CD and not some hybrid thing that doesn't please anybody fully.” There is a lot to be said about Greg Manning the artist, but it would only take away from what his music has to say.

Greg Manning is a Berklee College of Music alum and an amalgam of cultures. He was born in Nigeria and raised in Switzerland. Greg moved to Los Angeles in 2002 and has had an incredible career. He is a three-time certified platinum producer for Universal Music Switzerland, and has had several Swiss Chart toppers since 1996.
Greg Manning, the man and his music. Soul-Jazz at its best!

LOS ANGELES, CA - April 05, 2010 – Former keyboardist and music director for GRAMMY® Award-nominated artist Jonathan Butler, announced the worldwide iTunes release of his highly anticipated solo project titled, The Calling. This fresh and innovative album of masterfully crafted tunes features the talents of Keb’Mo’, saxophonist Kirk Whalum, and smooth jazz artist Mindi Abair.

The convergence of jazz, funk, and soul intertwined with musical inspiration from such artists as Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock, are blended with Manning’s precise timbre and smooth vocal technique to create a signature sound that is simplistically complex and unique in texture. The Calling is not just an album, but also a journey of life’s influences compiled into a rich CD that is as soulful as it is spiritual and relevant. “I wanted the project to be a great, coherent, accessible CD and not some hybrid thing that doesn't please anybody fully,” Manning says.

Manning has toured with several artists including Brian McKnight, Kirk Whalum, Will Downing, Richard Elliot, Gerald Albright, Chante Moore, and Mindi Abair. Manning is a Berklee College of Music alum and an amalgam of cultures. He was born in Nigeria, raised in Switzerland, and currently resides in Los Angeles with his family. He is a three-time certified platinum producer for Universal Music Switzerland, and has had several Swiss Chart toppers since 1996. There is much to be said about this talented artist, Greg Manning, but it would only take away from what his music has to say. Shows are planned for July 2010.